Bryce Harper Called Jonathan Papelbon; The Two are Reportedly "Fine"
By Kyle Koster
Bryce Harper placed a phone call to Jonathan Papelbon to smooth out any lingering friction after the two participated in a very public dugout fight in September.
"“Papelbon and Harper are fine together,” one person inside the Nationals said, referring to Harper’s phone call. “Harp just wants to win. All he cares about is that we have a 45-save relief pitcher who’s going to help us.”"
The dustup was seen by some as a microcosm of the Nationals’ disappointing season. Others saw it as a generational clash. But maybe, just maybe, it was only a fight borne out of frustration between two competitors.
One thing everyone can agree on is that a power structure allowing the likely National League MVP to get choked out by a closer is usually not tenable or present in successful teams.
Papelbon was suspended for the remainder of the season after tangling with Harper. Both players are under contract next season and will have to live with each other unless Papelbon is moved.
News of Harper’s olive branch comes in tandem with the signing of Dusty Baker. The veteran manager once helped break up a physical fight between Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent while with San Francisco. That experience, of course, won’t be needed if the Nationals teammates really are “fine together.”